R Madhavan to direct 'Rocketry - The Nambi Effect' solely

Mumbai: Actor R. Madhavan will be taking over the whole directing duties on "Rocketry - The Nambi Effect" after Ananth Mahadevan had to leave the project due to "unavoidable circumstances".

Earlier, Madhavan was co-directing the film, based on the life of scientist and aerospace engineer S Nambi Narayanan, with Mahadevan. It marks the directorial debut of Madhavan, who also essays the role of the protagonist in the film.

"Ananth Mahadevan is an extremely talented filmmaker. However, owing to unavoidable circumstances and certain pressing commitments he could no longer direct 'Rocketry - The Nambi Effect'," Madhavan said in a statement.

"Rocketry is close to my heart for many reasons. The film is shaping up well and I can't wait to tell the incredible story of Nambi Narayanan to the world," he added.

As a senior official at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Narayanan was in-charge of the cryogenics division. In 1994, he was falsely charged with espionage and arrested. The charges against him were dismissed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 1996, and the Supreme Court declared him not guilty in 1998.

According to informed sources, the movie is ahead of schedule with major portions already shot in all three languages -- Hindi, English and Tamil. It is shot extensively across India, Princeton, Scotland, France and Russia. 

The film is slated for a release later this year.